De 1970 até 2002, haveria três divisões (Eastern, Central e Western) em cada conferência. O vencedor de cada divisão e um quarto time vindo do "wild card" (repescagem) iriam para os playoffs. O desempate seria o confronto direto, seguido por campanha contra adversários da mesma divisão, adversários em comum e da conferência.
National Football Conference
Semana
Eastern
Central
Western
Repescagem
1
3 times
1-0-0
2 times
1-0-0
3 times
1-0-0
5 times
1-0-0
2
2 times
2-0-0
MINNESOTA
1-1-0
LOS ANGELES
1-0-1
2 times
2-0-0
3
WASHINGTON
2-1-0
2 times
2-1-0
2 times
2-1-0
3 times
2-1-0
4
WASHINGTON
3-1-0
DETROIT*
3-1-0
LOS ANGELES
2-1-1
2 teams
3-1-0
5
WASHINGTON
4-1-0
GREEN BAY
4-1-0
LOS ANGELES
3-1-1
DALLAS
4-1-0
6
WASHINGTON
5-1-0
GREEN BAY*
4-2-0
LOS ANGELES
4-1-1
4 times
4-2-0
7
WASHINGTON
6-1-0
GREEN BAY*
4-3-0
LOS ANGELES
4-2-1
DALLAS
5-2-0
8
WASHINGTON
7-1-0
GREEN BAY*
5-3-0
LOS ANGELES
5-2-1
DALLAS
6-2-0
9
WASHINGTON
8-1-0
GREEN BAY
6-3-0
LOS ANGELES
5-3-1
DALLAS
7-2-0
10
WASHINGTON
9-1-0
GREEN BAY
7-3-0
LOS ANGELES*
5-4-1
DALLAS
8-2-0
11
WASHINGTON
10-1-0
GREEN BAY*
7-4-0
SAN FRANCISCO
6-4-1
DALLAS
8-3-0
12
WASHINGTON
11-1-0
GREEN BAY
8-4-0
ATLANTA
7-5-0
DALLAS
9-3-0
13
WASHINGTON
11-2-0
GREEN BAY
9-4-0
SAN FRANCISCO
7-5-1
DALLAS
10-3-0
14
WASHINGTON
11-3-0
GREEN BAY
10-4-0
SAN FRANCISCO
8-5-1
DALLAS
10-4-0
American Football Conference
Semana
Eastern
Central
Western
Repescagem
1
2 times
1-0-0
2 times
1-0-0
DENVER
1-0-0
2 times
1-0-0
2
2 times
2-0-0
CINCINNATI
2-0-0
4 times
1-1-0
2 times
2-0-0
3
MIAMI
3-0-0
CLEVELAND
2-1-0
KANSAS CITY
2-1-0
4 times
2-1-0
4
MIAMI
4-0-0
CINCINNATI
3-1-0
KANSAS CITY
3-1-0
SAN DIEGO*
2-1-1
5
MIAMI
5-0-0
CINCINNATI
4-1-0
OAKLAND
3-1-1
N.Y. JETS*
3-2-0
6
MIAMI
6-0-0
CINCINNATI*
4-2-0
OAKLAND
3-2-1
PITTSBURGH*
4-2-0
7
MIAMI
7-0-0
CINCINNATI*
5-2-0
OAKLAND
4-2-1
PITTSBURGH*
5-2-0
8
MIAMI
8-0-0
PITTSBURGH
6-2-0
KANSAS CITY
5-3-0
CLEVELAND*
5-3-0
9
MIAMI
9-0-0
PITTSBURGH
7-2-0
OAKLAND
5-3-1
CLEVELAND*
6-3-0
10
MIAMI
10-0-0
CLEVELAND
7-3-0
OAKLAND
6-3-1
PITTSBURGH
7-3-0
11
MIAMI
11-0-0
CLEVELAND
8-3-0
OAKLAND
7-3-1
PITTSBURGH
8-3-0
12
MIAMI
12-0-0
PITTSBURGH
9-3-0
OAKLAND
8-3-1
CLEVELAND
8-4-0
13
MIAMI
13-0-0
PITTSBURGH
10-3-0
OAKLAND
9-3-1
CLEVELAND
9-4-0
14
MIAMI
14-0-0
PITTSBURGH
11-3-0
OAKLAND
10-3-1
CLEVELAND
10-4-0
Classificação
V = Vitórias, D = Derrotas, E = Empates, PCT = porcentagem de vitórias, PF= Pontos feitos, PS = Pontos sofridos
x - marca os times classificados pelo wild card (repescagem), y - marca os times que levaram o titulo de suas divisões
